NIU’s accounting program received another honor when it moved from eleventh to seventh place in the nation according to a ranking published by “Public Accounting Report,” an independent newsletter for accounting professionals.

According to John Engstrom, accounting department chairman, the report was put out in December by a private association, not by an organization.

A survey was sent out to nearly 400 colleges and universities asking them their perceptions of the five best accounting programs in the country. The institution’s responses were then placed on a weighted scale, with five points allotted to their first choice, four to their second and so on.

The top 10 institutions in order of rank were the University of Illinois, the University of Texas, the University of Michigan, Wharton School of Business, the University of Southern California, the University of Florida, NIU, Brigham Young University, Miami of Ohio and the University of Wisconsin.

The newsletter notes, “Continuing to improve are Miami (Ohio) and Northern Illinois, both of which moved into the top 10 for the first time.”

Engstrom said the program’s citation “is reflective of the high quality of our student body and the tremendous effort by our faculty. It’s a recognition nationwide that we do have a very strong undergraduate program.”

Diane Strand, assistant director of Public Information, said accounting students at NIU should regard this as a “significant thing to be able to sight as a reference.”

Strand said prospective employers would be very enthusiastic about students graduating from this program. Engstrom said the accounting department has received many letters of congratulations. “More people are aware of what we are doing,” he said.